Timeline

CHILDHOOD

TWENTIES

On 1 July 1862, Louis married Princess Alice, the third child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.
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On the day of the wedding, the Queen issued Letters Patent granting her new son-in-law the style of Royal Highness. This style was only in effect in Great Britain, not the German confederation where Prince Ludwig was only a Grand Ducal Highness. The Queen subsequently created him a Knight of the Garter.<br /><br /> During the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Louis commanded the Hessian cavalry in support of the Austrian side. In the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian War, Louis led the Hessian contingent of the armies of the North German Confederation. Read Less

On 1 July 1862, the day of his wedding, Queen Victoria issued Letters Patent granting her new son-in-law the style of His Royal Highness.
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This style was only in effect in the United Kingdom and not in Hesse where Prince Ludwig was only styled as His Grand Ducal Highness. On his accession as Grand Duke on 13 June 1877 he also became styled as His Royal Highness in Hesse.<br /><br /> No issue. Marriage annulled. Read Less

THIRTIES

187739 Years Old
On 13 June 1877, he succeeded his uncle as Grand Duke of Hesse, taking the name Ludwig IV.

FORTIES

187840 Years Old
Following the death of Princess Alice in 1878, Ludwig IV contracted a morganatic marriage on 30 April 1884 in Darmstadt with Alexandrina Hutten-Czapska (3 September 1854 - 8 May 1941), the former wife of Aleksander vich Kolemin, the Russian chargé d'affaires in Darmstadt.
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His second wife received the title Countess von Romrod. The marriage, which caused great concern within his family, was annulled within a year. Read Less

FIFTIES

189255 Years Old
Grand Duke Ludwig IV died on 13 March 1892 and was succeeded by his son, Ernest Louis.
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His remains are buried at Rosenhöhe, the mausoleum for the Grand Ducal House of Hesse outside of Darmstadt. Read Less